Niamh Harris – Thousands of Americans have ended up in jail over debts as small as $28 according to a new report published by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The practice is in violation of many US state and federal laws, which prohibits the jailing of debtors.

Around 77 million people have debts that have been transferred to and chased up by private collection agencies.

RT reports: In one case cited in the report, a disabled woman who wears a prosthetic leg was shackled by her waist and feet by two armed US marshals before being put in jail overnight.

“They had a warrant for my arrest and I asked them for what, he didn’t say what it was for. He said, ‘He’ll tell you later,’” said Tracie Mozie of Dickinson, Texas. Continue reading →